Apartment: can vary enormously. If you want reasonably modern, 3000+. if youre happy with older, you can get decent for about 2000. Keep in mind, building quality here ain’t that high. my apartment is about 8 years old but looks MUCH older.
Utilities: building fees (rubbish collection, security guards etc.) generally 150 -ish, depending on apartment size and building amenities. My internet is about 100, water/gas/power another 150 (i live alone).
SE Asian food: doesnt matter that we’re close to the region; any food that is NOT Chinese is foreign, and you’re gonna pay for it. Had a Thai curry a few days ago, cost me 68 kuai.
Taxi: starts at 8 kuai. Depends how far you’re gonna travel. If used often, can add up.
Air quality is bad, often awful. People will say “not as bad as Beijing”. That’s wrong (often worse here) and unhelpful. Beijing is not as bad as New Delhi, but that dont make it good. Winter is grim and damp. No getting around it….
Lotsa non-teachers here.
If youre having to support two people, given what you quoted, you could easily blow 10,000 a month.